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diff --git a/host/docs/c_api.dox b/host/docs/c_api.dox new file mode 100644 index 000000000..5b5790f21 --- /dev/null +++ b/host/docs/c_api.dox @@ -0,0 +1,86 @@ +/*! \page page_c_api UHD - C API + +\tableofcontents + +\section c_api_intro Introduction + +Alongside its C++ API, UHD provides a C API wrapper for the uhd::usrp::multi_usrp and +uhd::usrp_clock::multi_usrp_clock classes, as well as their associated classes and +structs. Other important UHD functions are also included in this API. To use this +API, simply: + +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{.c} +#include <uhd.h> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +...and all UHD C-level structs and functions will be available to you. The sections below +give more detail on the key features of the C API. + +\subsection c_api_handles C-Level Handles + +Most of the UHD classes that can be accessed on the C level are done so through handles, +which internally store the C++ representation and allow access to internal values +through helper functions. + +All handles have associated *_make() and *_free() functions. After creating a handle, it must +be passed through its make() function before it can be used in your program. Before the program +terminates, you must pass the handle into its free() function, or your program will have a memory +leak. The example below shows the proper usage of an RX metadata handle over the course of its +lifetime, from instantiation to destruction. + +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{.cpp} +uhd_rx_metadata_handle md; +uhd_rx_metadata_make(&md); + +// Streaming here puts useful information into metadata +time_t full_secs; +double frac_secs; +uhd_rx_metadata_time_spec(md, &full_secs, &frac_secs); + +uhd_rx_metadata_free(&md); +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Again, make sure to pass your handle into a make() function before using it, or you will +run into undefined behavior. Also be careful not to use the handle after passing it into +a free() function, or your program will segfault. + +\subsection c_api_errorcode Error Codes + +As C cannot handle C++ runtime exceptions, UHD's C wrapper functions catch all exceptions +and translate them into error codes, which are returned by each function. Any output variables +are passed in as pointers into the function, which will set them internally. + +Each uhd::runtime_error has a corresponding ::uhd_error value. Separate error codes indicate +that a boost::exception or std::exception has been thrown, and any other exceptions are +indicated by a catch-all ::UHD_ERROR_UNKNOWN code. + +All UHD C-level handles store the string representation of the last C++ exception thrown internally. +These handles have corresponding *_get_last_error() functions that will place the error string into a +supplied string buffer. + +For example, if a USRP device's handle throws an exception internally, the following code can access +its error info: + +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{.cpp} +char err_msg[256]; +uhd_usrp_handle usrp; +double gain; +// USRP configuration done here +uhd_error error_code = uhd_usrp_get_rx_gain(usrp, 0, "", &gain); +if(error_code){ + uhd_usrp_get_last_error(usrp, err_msg, 256); + fprintf(stderr, "Error code %d: %s\n", error_code, err_msg); +} +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +All error codes can be found in <uhd/error.h>. + +\subsection c_api_examples Example Code + +UHD provides two examples that demonstrate the typical use case of the C API: RX and TX streaming. +The <b>rx_samples_c</b> example is a simplified C version of <b>rx_samples_to_file</b>, +and the <b>tx_samples_c</b> example is a simplified C version of <b>tx_waveforms</b>. These examples +can be easily adapted or serve as a starting point for your own UHD C applications. + +*/ +// vim:ft=doxygen: |